Jessica Franklin specialises in personal injury and employment.
Jessica is ranked in the Legal 500 as a Rising Star for employment law (2025 and 2026). She is particularly experienced in Equality Act claims, claims for unfair dismissal and claims for whistleblowing. She is routinely instructed as sole counsel in multi-day employment trials, as well as in preliminary hearings covering issues such as worker status, jurisdiction and time limits. Jessica appeared in the EAT as junior counsel for the successful claimants in the case of British Airways plc v Rollett & Others [2024] IRLR 891. She appeared in the Court of Appeal as junior counsel for the appellants in Abel Estate Agent Ltd & Ors v Reynolds [2025] EWCA Civ 1357, the leading case on the implications of failure to comply with ACAS early conciliation.
In personal injury, Jessica is experienced in a range of areas including occupational illness (asthma, mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease), employer liability, military accidents and stress at work claims. She has advised on several cases involving difficult vicarious liability issues and non-delegable duties of care. She has a particular interest in group litigation and is currently instructed as junior counsel on behalf of multiple South African claimants suffering from asbestos-related diseases as a result of living near asbestos mines. Jessica was junior counsel in the Court of Appeal in Cuthbert v Taylor Woodrow [2024] EWCA Civ 244, a leading case concerning the employer’s duty of care in relation to asbestos exposure pre-1965.
Jessica graduated from the University of Cambridge with First Class honours. She achieved a Distinction in the GDL and BVS. She was awarded scholarships by Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, the City Law School and the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple.
Jessica was junior counsel for the successful claimants in British Airways plc v Rollett & Others [2024] IRLR 891, in which the Employment Appeal Tribunal found that it had jurisdiction to hear claims brought under s19 Equality Act by claimants who do not themselves have protected characteristics. This type of claim is now preserved in s19A Equality Act. Jessica is very happy to advise on S19A claims and this novel area of the law.
Other examples of recent work:
Jessica was junior counsel in the Court of Appeal in Cuthbert v Taylor Woodrow [2024] EWCA Civ 244, a case concerning the employer’s duty of care in relation to asbestos exposure pre-1965.
She is building a busy asbestos disease practice.
Other work includes:
Jessica Franklin is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please click here.
To find out more, contact Paul Barton on +44 (0)20 7427 4907 or Katie Hager on +44 (0)20 7353 6381 for a confidential discussion.
● Attorney General’s Junior Junior Panel
● ELBA
● ELA
